I'm considering buying one because I don't have room for a baby grand & I believe the sound/touch/action is comparable to & in fact far better than many grands. It's 120 cm (47 inches) tall. I currently play/teach on a very well-used Baldwin studio upright that was in a local university for 20 yrs so I'm overdue for a change. Have never ever had a new piano so I'm excited at the prospect!

Schimmel is one of the top European piano firms, and they have many generations of history producing one of the truly fine pianos of the world. If you like the sound and the feel of the action, there's a good chance you'll have a winner.

HOWEVER: you should never buy a used piano without taking along a qualified technician to look it over. Any piano can have been abused, neglected, or suffered damage. You need to get the serial number and check the age as well. In the meantime, read our article on purchasing and caring for a piano, and my recent one on evaluating the general condition.And please consider buying Larry Fine's matchless "The Piano Book" (www.pianobook.com). It's well worth it.

Dr. Bill, thanks for your reply. Actually this is a new piano - it has been at the music store for a while & suffered surface damage when a sign fell on it (cosmetic only I'm told) - this has basically been repaired - I'm not concerned about the finish. I really ought to get that book though, since it's a serious investment for me.